fisher



R. E. FISHER WINCH March 22, 1955 2 Shets-Sheet l Filed MaIGh l5, 1952 ,605597 "e F75/fe,

INVENTOR.

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' @rma/E445' United States Patent O WINCH Robert E. Fisher, Berkeley, Calif., assgnor to Up-Riglit, Inc., Berkeley, Calif., a corporation of California Application March 15, 1952, Serial No. 276,749

2 Claims. (Cl. 254-161) This invention relates to a winch.

For ease of description, cables, ropes, wires, such as guy wires, etc., will usually be referred to as cables whenever a generic designation is intended.

In taking up slack in cables, for instance guy wires, it has been conventional practice to make a loop in the free end of a cable by passing the cable end around a thimble and fastening the cable end to the main section of cable by means of two cable clips which grip the cable and require tightening with a wrench. A turnbuckle, incorporated in the cable, is then adjusted for removing the slack in such cable. This practice for portable towers, which must be erected rapidly, is awkward and time consuming. Furthermore, the present trend is to utilize nylon covered cable which is damaged by cable clips.

A main object of the present invention is to provide a winch designed to so receive the free end of a slack cable that upon rotation of the winch reel said free end is gripped by the winch to permit tensioning of the cable upon further rotation of the reel.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a winch as above described which is fast in operation, capable of handling all kinds of ropes, cables, wires or the like, and which does not require the use of turnbuckles and cable clips.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a winch as above described which can be hand operated without requiring the use of tools.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a winch as above described which is self locking in operation so that woundup cable will be automatically retained on the winch.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a winch as above described having an auxiliary holding means to hold the free end of the cable until the cable has been gripped by the winch, so that thereafter the main load on the cable can be taken by the winch.

Fig. l is an elevational view showing two different ways of using Winches embodying the concepts of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a winch embodying the concepts of the present invention, with parts broken away to more clearly show the internal construction of said winch.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2 in the direction indicated.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing the construction of the winch reel.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 3 showing a cable in the process of being coiled for the second time around the winch reel.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views illustrating several steps in the operation of tensioning a cable.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, there is shown a winch having a framework generally entitled 11 including a rear flat extension 13 and forward laterally spaced arms 15 and 17, each of which is disposed at approximately 90 degrees to the plane of rear extension 13.

Rotatably supported in the framework 11 is a winch reel generally entitled 19, said reel including a shaft 21 rotatably received by arms 15 and 17 and retained in place by split rings 23. Rotatably mounted on shaft 21 is a worm wheel 25 having disposed on either side thereof a hubbed flange, said flanges being generally entitled 27 and 29. Hubbed anges 27 and 29 may be conveniently fice termed sheave sides. Worm wheel 25 has laterally extending hubs 31 (compare Figs. 3 and 5) on which sheave sides 27 and 29 are mounted and keyed. Washers 33 are disposed between the ends of hubs 31 and the opposed faces of arms 15 and 17 of framework 11.

The hubs of sheave sides 27 and 29 abut against worm wheel 25 to space the opposed faces of said sheave sides and worm wheel from one another to provide cable receiving grooves.

Having the different cable sizes in mind, it is contemplated that a series of Winches will be constructed, each designed to receive cables of a certain approximate diameter, the diameter of the cable in each case being approximately the thickness of the groove provided between each sheave side and the opposed face of worm wheel 25 so that the cable just iits within the groove, as is apparent from the disclosure in Fig. 3.

For rotating worm wheel 25, a worm 41 is provided and engages said worm wheel as shown in Fig. 2 and is iixedly mounted on a worm shaft 43, the latter being rotatably mounted in a boss 45 formed on framework 11. A suitable hand wheel 47 is fixed to the upper end of shaft 43.

Although a worm and worm wheel are self locking under ordinary circumstances, it is contemplated that a plurality of holes 51 may be formed in the worm wheel and adapted to be brought into registry with a pair of aligned holes formed in arms 15 and 17 through which is received a locking pin 53, said pin of course extending through the hole 51 in registry with the holes in arms 15 and 17. By this arrangement, even slight movement of the worm wheel due to the tension on a cable will be prevented, such movement occasionally occurring upon excessive vibration of a cable. A suitable guard 55 attached to framework 11 is preferably provided to enclose a major portion of the periphery of worin wheel 25.

The winch of the present invention is adapted to receive the free end of a cable in a manner such that when the winch reel is rotated the cable will coil upon itself to secure the cable end to the winch and prevent withdrawal thereof to enable tensioning of the slack cable. To effect such a result, worm wheel 25 has an elongated slot 61 formed therein and therethrough, said slot extending from the peripheries of the hubs of sheave sides 27 and 29 outwardly into an opening 51. This construction enables a cable end to be placed in one cable receiving groove and passed laterally through the worm wheel and brought out into the other cable receiving groove. It is apparent that upon rotation of the winch reel in a direction to take up slack that the second coil of cable in each groove will overlie the first coil and bear down thereagainst creating a considerable frictional force, securing the cable end to the winch to prevent withdrawal thereof and enabling the tensioning of the cable upon further rotation of the winch reel.

By providing an elongated slot as shown extending from the peripheries of the hubs of the sheave sides 27 and 29 outwardly to a point beyond the peripheries of said sheave sides, a cable end may be readily threaded through the worm wheel and then shoved downwardly toward the hubs and into contact with said hubs. As is shown in Fig. 2, the elongated slot 61 is arranged nonradially of the worin wheel and inclined in the direction of rotation of the worm wheel when a cable is tensoned.

As is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the hubs of sheave sides 27 and 29 are spiral in formation so that the second coil is led tangentially onto the beginning of the lirst coil. This construction prevents crushing of the beginning portion of the rst coil and yet allows the creation of the considerable frictional force desired. Because the cable diameter is substantially that of each cable receiving groove provided by the sheave sides and worm wheel, the second coil of cable will properly overlie the rst coil without the possibility of jamming of the cable in the groove, as would be the case if the cable were substantially smaller than the thickness of the groove.

If desired, a cable clamp 63 can be provided as an auxiliary means for holding the free end of the cable after threading through the worm wheel to enable proper gripping of the cable by the winch. The cable clamp is of a simple construction, being horizontally split and provided with a suitable wing nut 65 to enable tightening of the clamp. Such tightening does not adversely anect the cable even if the cable is of nylon construction since the amount of holding force necessary is only a fraction of that to be imposed on the main section of the cable. Although the clamp 63 is preferably untilized, it is apparent that the clamp could be eliminated andthe cable end merely manually held during the reeling in of the cable and until the second coil of the cable was wound about the rst coil. However, the loose end of the cable would be allowed to dangle and create a dangerous condition for workmen. Further, the elimination of the clamp means an extra operation for the attendant operating the winch, or in some cases could conceivably require two attendants to operate the winch, one to rotate the hand wheel 47 and the other to hold the cable end in a reasonably taut condition.

The operation of the winch has been somewhat explained and indicated hereinbefore but the diagrammatic views in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 more clearly show the operation. The end of a cable such as cable 67 is threaded through the slot 61 in worm wheel 25 as is apparent from Figs. 6 and 7 and thereafter cable clamp 63 is applied to the end of the cable to clamp the end to the main section of cable. Thereafter, the hand wheel 47 can be rotated to rotate worm wheel 25 in a counter-clockwise direction as the parts are depicted in Figs. 6, and 7 and 8 to wrap or wind the portions of the cable in the cable receiving grooves around the hubs of the sheave sides so that the second coil in each groove overlies a rst coil. It is contemplated that in the usual operation the end of cable 67 will be pulled through the worm wheel to an extent Where the cable is merely slightly slack so that tensioning of the cable will begin just after the completion of a single coil around each sheave side hub. It is apparent however that several coils of cable could be wound up on the hubs before the tensioning operation commenced if desired.

Fig. 1 shows a scaffold entitled 71 having on one side thereof a plurality of cables 73 and on the other side a single cable 75. Such illustration is not intended to depict a practical cable arrangement but merely to illustrate how a single cable can be applied to a tower and how multiple cables can be applied to a tower.

The upper end of cable 75 can be secured to the tower in any conventional manner. A suitable ground anchor 77 having a shank portion 79 can be provided, such anchor preferably having a clevis 81, which may be an insulating clevis, receiving one end of a length of cable 83, the other end being received by a socket type cable clamp 85. Clamp 85 has a bolt 87 (see Fig. 2) receivable through an arcuate opening 89 formed in extension 13 of framework 11. The free end of cable 75 will thereafter be threaded through the worm wheel of a winch to be incorporated in the cable and the operations previously mentioned performed to properly tension the wire.

As is apparent from Fig. 3, the slot 89 in extension 13, being arcuate, enables the socket cable clamp to be disposed in either of two positions, depending on which cable receiving groove the main cable extends from, to align the socket cable clamp with the main cable.

'lhe cables 73 at the lefthand side of the tower in Fig. 1 can be connected at suitable levels to the tower and have their free ends received in Winches connected to a clevis 81 of a second ground anchor 77.

The description of the particular application of tensioning guy wires to a portable tower disclosed in Fig. 1 is not intended to limit the invention to such use but to merely show how winches embodying the concepts of the present invention can be used in actual practice.

By the present invention, a winch has been provided specially designed to so receive a cable end that upon rotation of the reel of the winch the cable will be gripped and held so that upon further rotation a cable may have the slack entirely removed therefrom and be tensioned.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device for tensioning a guy wire cable, the combination comprising a cable, a winding drum for cooperation therewith to tension said cable, a flange on each end of said drum spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the diameter of said cable, a slot formed in one of said ilanges and extending from the surface of said drum substantially radially outwardly therefrom, the end of said cable extending laterally outwardly through said slot, whereby initial tensioning of said cable is accomplished by drawing the end of the cable through said slot and whereby upon rotation of the drum the cable overlies itself and hence is snubbed to the drum and further rotation thereof causes iinal tensioning of the cable, and means for rotating the drum.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the surface of the drum is in the form of a spiral in a plane at right angles to the axis of rotation, wherein said spiral is of such a degree that the drum diameter increases an amount equal to the diameter of the cable in one revolution of the drum, and wherein said slot is located adjacent the low point of said spiral.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 262,587 Haish Aug. 15, 1882 394,773 Jones Dec. 18, 1888 596,618 Redmon Jan. 4, 1898 687,229 Hadley Nov. 26, 1901 1,444,104 Brewster Feb. 6, 1923 1,526,859 Klasing Feb. 17, 1925 1,536,383 French May 5, 1925 l2,586,048 Hyatt Feb. 19, 1952 2,607,560 Bugg Aug. 19, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 164,578 Great Britain June 16, 1921 

